Toilet flushing apparatus



Allg. 24, 1954 B, T.' E'2ZLL 2,686,921

TOILET FLUSHING APPARATUS Filed Sept. la, 1951 `of the tank will Patented Aug. 24, 1954 UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,686,921 TOILET FLSHING APPARATUS Benjamin 'I'. Ezzell, Harlingen, Tex. `Application September 18, 1951, Serial No. 247,089

2 Claims.

l 1 This invention relates to flushing mechanisms for toilets. More specifically, the invention has reference to a mechanism of the type stated novelly designed in a manner to insure proper seating of the ball valve.

In most instances, a relativelyshort valve rod is utilized in equipment of the type stated. Conventionally, the valve rod passes through one guide only. As a result, the ball valve, when elevated, moves erratically in or on top of the swirling water, as the water escapes from the ush tank.

In many instances, the proper reseating of the valve is dependent upon the action of a small whirlpool centered upon the valve seat, which` becomes evident as the water within the flush tank nears exhaustion after opening of the valve.

Or, independently of or in combination with said whirlpool, a partial vacuum may be set up within the valve seat, which tends to seat the valve properly.

However, in actual practice, water is rushing into the flush tank through the intake valve, and will be at its maximum flow just at the moment immediately preceding the time for closing of the ball valve, since at this time the float operating the intake valve will `be at its lowest position. As a result, the heavy ow of water through the intake valve on many occasions causes the ball valve to be forced off center, as a result of which it fails to seat properly when it drops to closed position. In such instances, of course, the mechanism continues to iush until the diiculty is remedied.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide a mechanism of the character described which will be elective to cause the ball valve to seat properly in each and every-instance.

Another important object is to provide, in a mechanism of the type stated, a valve rod guide arrangement wherein the rod is guided as to slidable movement thereof by a pair of vertically aligned guides, placed as far apart as the depth permit, the valve rod being lengthened accordingly. In this way, the valve will be held in proper alignment, and will tend to seat itself properly on many more occasions than is true of the present arrangement, wherej in a single guide is utilized in association with a short valve rod.

It is a further important object to use, in combination With the paired guides and elongated `valve rods, a means controllable by the float rod that will bind the valve rod against its associated guide during the time during which the ball valve is to remain unseated, thus to hold the ball valve immovably while elevated above the valve seat, and prevent itsbeing acted upon by the swirling incoming water.

A further important object is to provide a mechanism of the character described which can be incorporated with a minimum of difficulty in flushing mechanism already in use.

Yet another important object is to provide apparatus as stated which can be manufactured at relatively low cost, will be simple in construction, and will be sure in operation.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts` throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a view of a flush tank partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, a mechanism formed in accordance with the present invention being illustrated in side elevation,

the dotted lines indicating the unseated position of the parts;

Figure 2 is a top plan view in which portions have been broken away;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 3`3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a weight control link embodied in the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, at I I have designated a conventionally formed flush tank, having the overow pipe I2 mounted therein in the usual position.

Secured to the overflow pipe I2 is a lower guide 4 I4 extending laterally from the pipe and disspaced a substantial distance from a lower guide ring`22 provided upon the lower guide It.

An elongated, straight valve rod 24 has up and down sliding movement in the guide rings 2li, 22, and secured to the lower end of the rod 2t is a conventionally formed rubber ball valve 25. Intermediate opposite ends of the rod 2d, a collar 28 is formed upon said rod, said collar being engageable by a lift ring Sli, that is slidable upon the rod 24 and is pivotally connected to the lower end of a lift rod 32, having a pivotal connection at its upper end to the pivoted operating lever 34. The operating lever 34 is fulcrurned upon the side 3 wall of the lush tank il), and is rigid with an operating handle 36 disposed exteriorly of the tank and adapted to set the flushing mechanism into operation when shifted to the dotted line position thereof illustrated in Figure l.

Secured to the upper guide I5, and projecting laterally therefrom, is a pivot pin St on which is rockably mounted a sleeve fili formed ntermediate opposite ends of a weighted` arm d2. Upon one end of the arm ft2 is a weight fill which in the present instance, but not necessarily, is in the shape of a round ball. The weight-lll normally fricticnally engages the yvalve rod Zd, so as to bind the valve rod against the upper and lower guide rings 2t, 22 respectively, the valve rod and valve ball in their elevated positions, as illustrated in dotted lines in- Figure l.

Upon the other end of the arm i2, 1forma laterally disposed eye 46, receiving a hook it formed uponthe upper end of a weightcontrol rod 5G. Therod is illustratedinFigure 4, and maycomprise a single piece of vstoutrod material bent to shape. In the illustrated example o' the Aweight control means, the rod is formed intermediate opposite-ends thereof with areturn bend, Vmerging into a reversely extended end portion Effi. havingat its free end a lateral extension 5t hooked around the mai-n portion of the rod. 58.

A conventional oat arm 58 is provided at one end with a 'loat 60, the arm 58 being ulcrumed upon a siutable bracket, and being adapted to control the seating and unseating of the intake valve 62. ,This is conventional construction, and

it may be noted at thispoint that in some instances, the lfulcrumpoint -of the viioat arm 53 is spaced a substantial distance above the bottom ofthe tank, ratherv than close tothe bottom as in the illustrated example.

In any event, regardless of the location of its fulcrum, the iloat arml 5 8 islextended through the opening 64 defined in the control link 5in and iS Shftableupwardly enddcwpwerdlv within said opening as the water risesandfalls in ,the flush tank.

ln use, the weight fill vwill normally tend to gravitate to a position in vwhich itengages vthe valve rod 2li. When the operating handle :Se is shifted to the dottedline position illustrated in Figure Il, the valve rod 2,4 will `be elevated, to unseat the ball valve4 2 6,.and.per1 nit thewater within the iiush tank to escape. The weight fili, of course, will still tend to gravitateinto a position against the rod 24, and Vwill' bind the rod against the guides 2B, '22 vin .the elevated position of the rod, thus to hold-the ball valve in a fixed position and .prevent its being .moved erratically from a proper position under theaction of the swirling water.

When the water is .fully exhausted-the-ball or iloat t will have droppedto its lowermost position, `and the float arm f553 will engage the return bend portion52 of the Weight control link 5D, at the proper moment. This causes the weight t4 to be swung upwardly out ,of engage- `ment .with the valve vrod 24, so that the -ball valve will dropstraight downwardly-to its seat. lt believe it is entirely possible that instead .of a rigidly formed weight control rodil, a nexi- Vble .membersuch as a chain could be utilized,

connected at opposite ends tothe float arm 5 8 `and to the weighted arm 4 2. -The chain, in this Ainstance-would be of such a length as to cause the chain to be-drawntaut when the loat -58 is lowered to substantially the bottom limit of its travel, with the result that the weight M will be swung upwardly from the valve rod 2li in the manner previously described herein.

t is believed to be an important characteristie oi the present invention that the mechanism utilized is one that can be manufactured at relatively low cost, and can be readily embodied in flushing mechanisms already in use. It is further of importance, itis thought, that the apparatus is one whichV though inexpensive, obtains a highly desirable result, mainly the proper seating of the ball valve 26 in each and every instance, which is of importance in halting the flushing action at the proper time.

It is Abelieved clear that the invention is not necessarilyconned to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the `specii'lc construction illustrated `and described,

since such construction is only intended to-be illustratve of the principles of operation `and tlie means presentlydevisedto carryout -said Aprinciples, it being considered that 4the invention comprehends any minor changes in construction that may be permitted withinthelscope oiftne appended claims.

' What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a vtoilet tank -Y having a bottom, an overilowpipe rising-fromsaid bottoinand having an upper' end, a ilush valve seat ons a id bottom, a iiush valve for said-seat including a valve-rod rising from sa id valve, saidoverow pipe and said valve rod being in laterally spaced relation to each other, a lower valve rodguide fixed on said overiiow pipe, an upper valve rod` guide fixed on said overow pipe near the yupper end of said overow pipe, said lower and upper guides having guide rings through which said valve rod is slidably engaged, a water inlet valve seat on said tank bottom, a neat `valve .arm

pivoted intermediate itsends on -said inlet valve seat, aninlet valve on one endof said float valve arm forsaid inletvalve seat and afloat onthe -other end oisaidfloat valve arm,. -a n operating lever pivoted on the tank, a liftrod pivoted on said operating lever and -dependingalongsidepf `said-.flush valve rod, .a stop on said -iiush valve rod, said lift rody being l slidably connected to said -flush valve rod at a point below said stop, a

irictionarm pivoted intermediate its ends on said upper valve'rod guide, said lfriction arm having an outer end arranged to bear frictionally against said `flush valverod for holding said flush valve rod in an elevated open DO Sition, positie in means associated withsaid friction a .rrri i n lding engagement with the-flush valve rod, andan operative connectionbetween said float valve arm said friction arm serving to Apivot said friction arm out of holding engagement withsaid ilush valve rod as .said float valve arm descends Ifrein elevated position towardadepressed position. 2. In cornbination, a toilet tank havinga bottoni, anoverlow plperising from saidbottom and havingan upper end, a flush valvefseat on y:s aid bottoni, a ush valve ior said seat includinga valve rod rising from said valve, said overflow pipeandsaid valve-rod being in laterally.spaced relation to each other, a lower valve rodguide flxedon said overilow 4pi pe,,an upper-valve ,rod guide fixed on said overflow pipenear .theaipper end of said overflow pipe, ,said .lower upper guides having vguide rings through which said valverodis slidably engaged, a waterinlet valve seat on said tank bottom, a oatvalve arm pivoted intermediate its ends on said inlet valve seat, an inlet valve on one end of said float valve arm for said inlet valve seat and a fioat on the other end of said float valve arm, an operating lever pivoted on the tank, a lift rod pivoted on said operating lever and depending alongside of said flush valve rod, a stop on said flush valve rod, said lift rod being slidably connected to said flush valve rod at a point below said stop, a friction arm pivoted intermediate its ends on said upper valve rod guide, said friction arm having an outer end arranged to bear frictionally against said ush valve rod for holding said ush valve rod in an elevated open position, positioning means associated with said friction arm in hold ing engagement With the flush valve rod, and an operative connection between said float valve arm and said friction arm serving to pivot said friction arm out of holding engagement with said flush valve rod as said oat valve arm descends from an elevated position toward a depressed position, said positioning means coinprising a Weight on the said outer end of the friction arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 541,215 Scott June 18, 1895 1,134,234 Schonmeyer Apr. 6, 1915 1,586,655 Cook June 1, 1926 2,526,294 Stegeman Oct. 1'7, 1950 

